The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-22

gers delay +; the fighting of the battle
the defeat; the nations ruin; the course
of history changed" These six results
were, indeed, effects; but they were
not sequences. In planting kernel Of
corn, it springs up, and grows, and ma
lures. These he tells us are both eff
fects and sequences; and afterward
adds that retribution is the sequence
of sin which is certain to follow; while
in the other instance, the results would
not happen again in thousand expert
ments. Geo. Rogers in his "Pro and
Con-" is to the same effect, in showing
that punishment is nothing arbitrary,
but is the natural effect of natural
cause. His words are, "Tell man
that murder will bring him to the gal
lows, and his mind will respond, Yes;
provided first that am detected sec
ond, that | am convicted; third, that
am not pardoned fourth, that l do not
break Jail and escape; fifth, or die
natural death; sixth, or do not despatch
myself in some other way; seventh, or
am not forcibly rescued. Now, it is
certain that either of these circum-
stances may prevent the catastrophe;
and so there is no natural connection as
between sin and its punishment" If
there is any other punishment Of sin,
except the goadings of guilty con-
science, l do not know what it is. 1.-The
sting of SIM as the apostle calls it, is
its punishment and this is something
that inheres in the sin, is concomitant
of it, showing the natural, and neces-
sary connection which God has estab-
lished in the moral interests of men,
and it can be no other than the con-
seriousness which is inseparable from
the wrong intent. 1t is in one word re-
morse; which Webster defines as "pain
from guilty conscience - and Wor-
cester, 'the pain of guilt" or our 'be-
| ing impressed with sense of guilt. !"
And how long shall this 'pain," or
s'sense of guilt" remain, after the sim
ner has repented of his sins, and turned
to righteousness The harassing eff
fects of sin will cease, when the remon-
STRANGE of conscience and God are no
longer felt. This am sure is Script
ure doctrine, if am understanding any
thing respecting it. The prophet Eze-
kiel says: IF the wicked will turn
from all his sins that he hath commit
ted, and keep all my statutes, and do
that which is lawful and right, he shall
surely live; he shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed
they shall not be mentioned unto him
In his righteousness that he hath done
he shall live"
| What do we mean by forgiveness, il
it is not the consciousness of restored
harmony with God, and all duty? An(
if we are restored, then we are restored
are we not God cannot forgive any
soul till it is brought to the conscious
ness of its being right, in his sight; an(
when we are right, and have forgiven
ourselves, then God forgives us, ant
We know by our having forgiven our
selves that we are forgiven of God
for his forgiveness is the result of ours
ssIf our heart con 1emns u.s. how should
it be but that God condemns us also;
for ne is ''greater than our hearts. ;
He looks into our hearts, and s'knowetf
all things. But if our hearts condemn
us not, then have we confidence TOWARD
God, and may assure ourselves befor.
him."
Your instance of a limb being broken
is no analogous case. There is no sin in
volved in my breaking a limb certain
ly if 1 was not intending it, which is
not at all probable, if it was done al
the result of an accident. The regret
is no natural, or necessary effect; anG
it is certainly no punishment, since nc
sin had been committed. Let it be that
it was done purposely; still the broken
limb is no natural penalty, or sequence
of the purpose. 1t was the violation OF
the physical law, ldone purposely or not,
that incurred the physical penalty. The
moral law has to be attended with a
moral penalty. The thing necessary
to relieve US of the physical penalty is
to mend the broken limb and when ii
is mended, it is mended. And just SO
with our moral dislocations; when we
have broken with conscience, and the
sin is put away, it is put away. And
the same with man who neglects his
education, or information, and grows up
in ignorance. When his knowledge is
made up to him he does not suffer long
er from ignorance. Suppose man
foolishly breaks a limb, las you have
supposed,) and becomes convinced by
his suffering, or aught else, that he has
acted foOlishly it does not, it is true,
mend the broken limb at once, nor at
all /; but it cures the foolishness. It
may not take man very long to repent
of his sins, and the disease of sin is
cured when it is repented of.
1t is well to study into the philoso-
ply of these things and also to mark
what the Scriptures have to say about
them. Is it not true what the Apostle